The invention relates to improvements in machines for brewing coffee, tea or other hot beverages. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in machines wherein a hollow housing defines or accommodates a container for water, milk or another liquid (hereinafter called water) and wherein the temperature of water flowing from the container can be raised by a heater before the thus heated liquid enters a filter holder on its way into a pot, a carafe, a cup or another receptacle for hot beverages.
It is already known to provide a machine of the above outlined character with a conduit in the form of a riser which conveys freshly heated water from the heater to a distributor (hereinafter called manifold) serving to direct heated water back into the container or into the filter holder, depending upon whether or not the temperature of water in the riser is sufficient for the brewing of one or more cups of coffee, tea or another hot beverage. The manifold contains a normally disc-shaped deformable valving element which assumes a first shape or position when the temperature of water entering the manifold is too low and the valving element then permits such water to flow back into the container. The valving element changes its shape or position when the temperature of water reaches a desired value whereby the valving element seals the manifold from the container but permits properly or adequately heated water to enter the filter holder and to come in contact with a body of comminuted coffee beans, with a mass of comminuted tea leaves or with another agent which imparts to the beverage a desired flavor and color. The arrangement is such that the valving element snaps over from one position or shape to the other position or shape when the temperature of water which is supplied by the conduit rises above or drops below a given value. The filter holder is disposed at a level above a warming plate which can support a receptacle (such as a cup, a pot, a carafe or another suitable vessel) for the freshly brewed beverage. An advantage of machines which embody the above outlined valving element is that the filter holder can receive water only when the water temperature reaches or exceeds the value which is required for the making of a satisfactory hot beverage. Thus, the person in charge of operating the machine need not monitor the temperature of water and need not manually operate a valve in order to divert or direct heated water into the filter holder when the water temperature reaches or exceeds a desired value.
However, heretofore known machines which employ the above outlined valving elements still exhibit a number of drawbacks, particularly as concerns the complexity and cost of the manifold and the mode of installing the valving element in the manifold. As a rule, one side of the deformable valving element is affixed to a portion of the manifold.